Resume work in 72 hours or face EFCC – Umahi warns contractors

Contractors working on the Abuja-Lokoja highway have been given three days by Works Minister David Umahi to get fully to work or risk being handed over to the police and the EFCC.

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Speaking during an inspection of the road project on Tuesday, June 9, alongside members of the Senate and House Committees on Works, Umahi said President Bola Tinubu has already signed off on funding for the job.

He made it clear that anyone who has taken government money without delivering results will no longer be overlooked. “If you are holding the money of the Federal Government, you have to bring it out and do the job, or we start going to the police and the EFCC,” the minister said.

The deadline he set is firm: equipment and personnel must be on site within 72 hours. “I’m giving you 72 hours to effectively deploy on this road and utilise the money. The President has graciously approved the funds, and everyone involved must fulfil their obligations,” he said.

Umahi also threatened to take action against ministry officials responsible for overseeing projects if they fail to do their jobs properly. He said negligence and poor performance will no longer be accepted.

According to him, no contractor or supervising engineer should stand in the way of the current administration’s infrastructure goals through delays, shoddy work, or lack of transparency. He did praise the work done on certain portions of the road and promised contractors that outstanding payments from earlier agreements would be sorted out once approved funds are released.

The minister raised alarm about the poor state of the Abuja-bound side of the highway, warning that over 90 percent of that lane is already damaged and could become completely unusable within months unless urgent action is taken. He also ordered contractors not to tear up any existing asphalt on the road without first getting approval from his ministry.